‘Extraordinary’ Ronaldinho summed up by Lionel Messi, Zinedine Zidane, Neymar and Eden Hazard who spent hours watching YouTube videos of him
A stunning Neymar performance for Paris Saint-Germain has got comparisons going again, could he really be better than the great Ronaldinho?
Well, he was more talented than Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, according to his former Barcelona teammate, Deco.
“When we didn’t know what to do, he would create chances to score,” he said.
Ronaldinho is viewed as one of the greatest players of his generation
The ‘cheeky little chappie’ was an absolute magician, no-one can question that.
But at the same he partied too much, trained too little and lacked the desire and commitment to maintain his level at the very top of the game – something which some believed was creeping into Neymar’s game up until recently.
Ronaldino’s fall from grace was sad to witness, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that when he was in his prime he was a complete genius.
And, as people compare the Brazilians, talkSPORT.com has also been in a rather reflective mood.
Ronaldinho left his mark on some of biggest names in the game, and who better to start with than his biggest fan Deco!
Deco
Deco played alongside Ronaldinho at Barcelona from 2004 to 2008 and helped the club win the Champions League and two La Liga titles.
“From the outset, it is clear that Leo and Cristiano are the greatest,” Deco told AS.
“Especially because no one thought they could take so many years to this level, but the one that impressed me most despite not being so decisive was Ronnie.
“For me, he will always be the best.”
Deco and Ronaldinho were two footballing geniuses
Lionel Messi
When you’re getting plaudits from arguably the greatest player that ever lived, then you know you must have done something right.
“Ronaldinho was responsible for the change in Barca. It was a bad time and the change that came about with his arrival was amazing,” the Argentinian maestro said.
“In the first year, he didn’t win anything but people fell in love with him.
“Then the trophies started coming and he made all those people happy. Barca should always be grateful for everything he did.”
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
The legendary striker named his former AC Milan teammate in his dream XI of players he had played with in 2018.
“Ronaldinho was phenomenal. He made his opponents look like children,” he remarked.
Coming from Ibrahimovic that really is something.
Frank Rijkaard
Rijkaard and Ronaldinho joined Barcelona at the same time and are said to have clicked straight away.
Interestingly, the latter also named the Dutchman as the the best manager he worked with during his career.
“He is the man that makes the difference between a team that plays well and another that is really memorable,” Rijkaard said.
“Ronaldinho alone can decide one game.”
Ronaldinho named Frank Rijkaard as the best manager he played under in his career
Zinedine Zidane
Another legend of the game, Zidane hailed Ronaldinho’s ‘extraordinary’ talent.
“Ronaldinho is total class – a very, very great player. He is quick, powerful, and has extraordinary technical qualities,” he said.
“He is a dribbler but is also a player who can make the play for his teammates.
“He’s not really a no.10, a true organiser. He’s more a second attacker who can score goals and has the vision to make them.”
Zidane labelled the Brazilian a ‘great player’
Neymar
Growing up, the Paris Saint-Germain’s idol was Ronaldinho and he had posters of the Brazilian maestro on his bedroom wall.
The pair later played together for the national team, enjoying some memorable moments together.
“No one can compare to Ronaldinho. I remember his plays, his dribbles,” his fellow countryman said.
“I remember him winning every title at the Camp Nou.”
David Beckham
The pair played together at AC Milan, with the Manchester United and England legend insisting that Ronaldinho is in a league of his own.
“No one can compare to Ronaldinho,” he said. “I remember his plays, his dribbles. I remember him winning every title at the Camp Nou.
“He made history at Barca, he made history with Brazil, and he’s still making history.”
The Manchester United legend loved his time playing alongside Ronaldinho at the San Siro
Nani
Nani admired Ronaldinho from afar, and the former Manchester United playmaker was in no doubt about who the king was in football terms.
“The best player in history? Ronaldinho. Because when he was at his best nobody could compare,” he said.
“He always had a smile on his face as well. He had skill, scored fantastic goals and put magic into the game.”
Nani was a huge admirer of Ronaldinho’s talents
Eden Hazard
Eden Hazard has established himself as one of the best players in the modern game now, and says the likes of Ronaldinho taught him what was needed to get to the very top.
“I learned a lot from Ronaldinho and Robinho. Football is a tactical game and you sometimes have to be serious,” the Belgian said.
“But they taught me to always do it with a smile and have fun. I spent hours watching their clips on YouTube.”
Eden Hazard watched hours of footage of Ronaldinho and his Barcelona teammates
Sergio Ramos
A compliment from your rival should always be regarded in the highest order. Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos went toe-to-toe with Ronaldinho many times, and on more than one occasion was embarrassed by the Brazilian’s sheer brilliance.
The Spaniard admitted it was a thankless task trying to prevent him most of the time, commenting: “Ronaldinho was virtually unstoppable at his best, as a forward or a playmaker.”
Ramos had some tough battles against Ronaldinho back in the day
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